The Other Path
by xwoutje
Summary: After yet another year with yet another death, Harry decides he's going to end the chapter of being a puppet for once and for all. Instead following the bricks that are already laid out for him, he decides to follow the other Path. His path. -M for strong language-


**None of this belongs to me; everything except for my storyline is _J.K. Rowling's_.**

* * *

Life is unfair; no one has ever denied me that. What they did deny me, though, is only what I realize now. They denied me a loving family, a memorable childhood and they even denied me every choice I ever had to make. I'm not sure how I could've been so blind before, it might've been my glasses, but now that problem is fixed as first of hundreds, maybe thousands, of my problems, I can start fixing the rest. First of them; introduce myself to y'all.

My name is Harry Potter.

One side of the world would know me as a freak, a criminal who's good for nothing. The other sees me as the hero of their world, as a puppet whom would follow whoever would pull his strings, something that's going to end, if not today, very soon. The first world I'm talking about is the normal one, the one most of the global population sees. The second though, is a little more difficult, as it's the magical world.

To not make my life seem to difficult but still understandable, I'll give you a short summary. When I was one, my parents were killed by the worst wizard currently living, Voldemort. Wonder by wonder, I lived. At my 11th birthday I was introduced to the wizard world and that year I went to Hogwarts. I retreived the Philosopher's Stone, fought Quirrel, who was possesed by Voldemort. Second year I found out I can talk to snakes, students were petrified and I saved Ginny, Ron's little sister, from the Chamber of Secrets while battling the younger form of Voldemort. Third year my godfather broke out of Azkaban, the wizard prison, but he was falsely accused of something he didn't do and didn't get a trial. Ron's rat, as we figured out, was Peter Pettigrew, the one who truly betrayed my parents. Last year I was forced to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, Cedric died, I battled Voldemort face to face and found out 'Moody' was actually Barty Crouch Jr. who was supposed to be dead.

And if that wasn't enough, fate gave me this year too.

After a school year full of trouble because of Umbridge, a ministry worker who was happy to use a Blood Quill on a student, I got a vision of my godfather being tortured by Voldemort. Together with a few 'friends' I rashed into battle, but it seemed to have been an illusion placed into my head by Voldemort. The Order had come, and Sirius, all too happy to help for once, rushed in to save us. During the battle Sirius was killed by Bellatrix, his own cousin, but when Dumbledore had come the battle was over. The wounds of this year are still much too fresh to freely talk about it, but the rest of my life has been so much repeated to curious on lookers that it seems almost as if it was a story I droned from from one of my schoolbooks. I came close to laughing yesterday, when I realized what I was scared of in my first year, but then I reminded myself of Sirius falling through the veil. There's not much to laugh about these days anymore.

Yesterday I came back from school and it didn't take more than a day to completely form the plan that had already started to grow for a few weeks, since I came back from the ministry. The first thing was to contact some old friends and the rest of my plan would fold out in its own time, so that I was doing right now. I was walking down Privet Drive, up to the church, well what we called the church.

"Finally back from Hogwarts, St. Bliss?" Moon asked. I smiled at him and nodded to show him I hadn't forgotten. This place was one big magical community, all muggleborns, but none of them had chosen to go to Hogwarts or were just not allowed by their parents for several different reasons.

Moon was seen by many as my right hand, though he was my complete opposite. I would be described as guy who gave everyone hope again, strange as it may seem. Moon, though, was almays completely dark clothed, looked as if he was some kind of bodyguard, but he was actually a good guy. He spends his time listening in on people in the neighbourhood. Everyone here was _wanted_ and had his/her own 'job' and if not for us this whole neighbourhood would have never gotten their good name.

* * *

_"Aren't you the one from 4?" One of the new boys asked. I looked at him, quite shyly, and nodded as I didn't have a clue what to do else as the boy would be able beat me up without a second thought, and he didn't look too friendly either. "I'm Damian, from 8. Nice to meet you." I nodded once more. The boy just smiled, turned around and seemed to scan the area. I was observing him, until I heard a much too known voice. "I'd stay away from that freak." I turned around swiftly to see Dudley and his gang looking at Damian. Damian realized they talking to him and raised an eyebrow. "Freak?" I tried to slowly get away before they'd tell the nice boy about the freakish stuff that happened around me but Piers tripped me and I fell on the ground. _

_I mentally sighed, realizing what either Petunia or Vernon would do if they'd see the dirty pants and I dearly hoped I'd get away without scars but I wasn't too hopeful. Once I was almost on my feet again I heard a blast and I jumped up and turned around to only see the whole gang laying on the ground and looking at Damien. A second later all the cowards had cleared out and only I and Damien were still there. I smiled at the boy to reassure him as I saw his unsure face. "I'm Harry. Don't worry, they deserved it." Damien looked at me with a thankful look, that would start our lifelong friendship, and later we would be dubbed St. Bliss and Moon. It was also only later that Damien told me that I had a calming aura that calmed people around me down, from which I gained my name._

* * *

The rest of the group was formed a few days after, and people kept joining. We gained a lot of members by, for example, helping elderly with bringing whatever they'd buy at the supermarket. The people we'd help would tell us about the strange boy from a few blocks away. Or the girl from that back alley. And by doing all that, I subconciouncly grounded a community consisting of only magical people living all around the world, but mainly here. Around Surrey we were known as the Priests, because I am a proud Christian, something everyone knows, and because we seem to be good listeners. The cause is probably the order to not talk but listen and observe, but anyway, that's what they call us. That's also why we call the pledge Church.

It has been long since I've been here, in total it was a year. A year of not seeing my true friends, the ones that DO support me whatever. I shove that though out of my mind and make my way in. When I open the doors it gets silent for a moment until they realize who I am, and they make our sign to show respect. I've long ago informed all of them I'm not fond of loud sounds and we got our code anyway so that became the way to communicate. Of course we aren't at all mute but it proved to be useful, as the ones that need to can concentrate. I nod at each one of them, as I always do. Then I make my way around the Church to see what changed. Though from the outside it seems like a house ready to break down every moment, from the inside it's quite luxurious.

The entrance hall is where I am right now, it's filled with couches, a small kitchen and a few tables. We came up with that when many brought up they were starved at home. I cross the room and enter the hallway and I first go upstairs. I visit the library first which seems to have expanded even more, it would be now maybe even better filled than the Hogwarts Library, but everyone agreed that knowledge was power. And as we had time enough, everyone had to read every book of their sections once. Oh wait, I skipped something right there.

The Church is divided into sections, who simply were formed out of nothing. Some are investigating new spells, others ancient ones, there was once section that had also made time turners for all Priests which had a lot of advantages. Another one was studying muggle weapons and how they could be made magical, others potions, others were trying to be able to listen in in floo calls, basically we had something for everyone. I have never had to mention this to anyone of my other life seeing I had a time turner and nobody would miss me anyway beause it would look like I was just gone for a second

I was brutally pulled out of my thoughts by commotion outside. I gracefully rushed out of the library, downstairs and left the house. The scene I saw then made me smirk quite a lot. Moon saw me and saw my smirk and calmed down immediately, together with the other 'Priests'. At least we now knew our protective wards worked. A wall had appeared and 20 people were pinned against it by unbreakable locks. It was more who it were that were humorous. Lupin, Tonks, Bill, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, Charlie, McGonagall, Emeline Vance and a few others I couldn't really place. The funny thing was yet that Dumbledore and Snape were also there, hanging against a wall. All of them looked frustrated as they struggled against their binds but most relaxed when they saw me.

"Welcome to my home, everyone. What can I help you with?" I asked, politely enough but with an edge of sarcasm to it. "Why don't you start with releasing us? After that we could discuss everything inside with a cup of tea." Dumbledore 'suggested'. Yeah right. I raised an eyebrow at Parker, the one who installed the wards, and she send me a small nod. "That's alright, though I'm afraid I can't invite you in at the moment." Snape snarled. "What's it with you anyway? Feel better than everyone else, like normal?" I send him a smile. It took some time, but I realized a few days ago tat compared to everything else in my life Snape was actually not too bad. Not that you could compare a basilisk to a potion professor, I'm not even sure why I tried.

"That would be a story for another day. Parker, if you don't mind." She nodded discreetly and with a snap of her fingers everyone was released except the potion professor. She snapped her fingers a few times more before she shrugged. Dumbles, together with everyone else, noticed the shrug. "Why isn't Severus released?" He asked, or demanded. You never know the difference with that guy. "It seems like the wards aren't willing to be budged by me, meaning that the bat is either dark, is planning harm on someone here, or both. It's St. Bliss's choice whether he'll let him go or will let him rot. For me, it doesn't matter either way." I snorted at the 'bat' part but nodded in agreement with the rest of it.

While everyone was already standing I snapped my fingers in a simelar fashion as Parker had done a minute ago, and Snape fell ungracefully to the ground making me snort another time. "What kind of wards were those? With my profession I've encountered a lot of them, but none were like this." Bill wondered. Parker smiled her smile, which was infamous not only here, but through the whole of Surrey male would throw themselves in front of her feet to be the ones to receive that smile, even if it was only one. "We invented it ourselves." Then she started to explain some stuff about how the wards worked and slowly the other members of the order were talking to each other too, some even to us, probably trying to figure out what was happening at the moment.

I was just explaining Moon about my 5th year and looked around me at the same time, when I saw Paste. I send her a smile which she returned as she came nearer. She got her name by her charasmatic personality, making everybody 'stick' around her. I gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek without thinking about it before going on with my conversation with Moon. Something I didn't think about, though, was something others did think about.

* * *

"Who is she?" Mum bit out, making everybody turn around and look at Harry and a tanned girl with light brown hair. No body answered as they were just staring at Harry and wondering if they'd just seen Harry, _their Harry, _kiss a girl on the cheek without thinking about it. "She doesn't look bad." I couldn't help but notice as it was true, she was quite pretty but just too young for me. "Not more than that either!" Mum bit back and I looked at her strangely. "Mum, what are you on about? Can't you be happy for Harry?" The gazes shifted from Harry and the girl to me and mum. "What should I be happy about? About that girl, charming Harry without the boy noticing, or what?" I was too shocked to realize the whole place had become silent because of mum's words. Harry what about to react angrily but I shook my head. "This is all about Ginny isn't it, mum?" She froze and turned to me.

"Of course it is! First that boy leads her on, haven't you heard her since school? Don't you realize how this would hurt Ginny, if she realized that slut was trying to hook up wi-" One second later Harry was standing in front of mum, glaring at her with all his might. And it's not like I could blame him. "Don't blame my friends on something your daughter said! And don't forget you're on my land here, either!" And it might have not been such a smart idea from Dumbledore to interfere and say "But my boy, you have to realize by bringing Ginevra to the ministry she'd think-"

"I don't give a fuck about what she thinks!" He bellowed. "This is my ground, those are my friends you are insulting. One snap of my fingers and you're ALL against that fucking wall again. And I'd let you get fucking nourished and I'd hit you with a whip to show what you fucking left me to that Halloween night! And don't you dare say you didn't have a fucking idea, as if I didn't realize that a cat could fucking understand me! But did I ever show that I knew? NO! Why not? Because it was the only fucking living thing I could have a conversation with without being fucking beaten!" Any other time I'd have been staring at Harry for cursing that much when I'd never heard him do so before, but I was occupied looking at Dumbledore and McGonagall in disbelief.

"Don't think I've ever heard you curse that much before." Parker, the girl I had been talking with before, said. The fire in Harry's eyes disappeared as he send her a grin. "But-" And mum disappeared. "She is just denied entrance and has no way in. Mr. Weasley, I'll deny you too to assure her, if you don't mind. Dad, who was much paler than before, nodded and he also disappeared. An awkward silence hung in the air as everybody was looking at Harry for support of what to do.

"Now, I thought we were going to talk about something?"

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**A/N - I hope you enjoyed my first chapter. Please comment, as this is quite new for me and I'd like to hear your opinions! Love always -**


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